diff --git a/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/DatasetVersion.java b/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/DatasetVersion.java
index 2b4844e4d16..c45ddcd62cb 100644
--- a/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/DatasetVersion.java
+++ b/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/DatasetVersion.java
@@ -203,6 +203,9 @@ public enum VersionState {
     //The Json version of the archivalCopyLocation string
     @Transient 
     private JsonObject archivalCopyLocationJson;
+
+    @Transient
+    private Boolean hasFiles = null;
     
     public Long getId() {
         return this.id;
@@ -2192,5 +2195,12 @@ public void setVersionNote(String note) {
 
         this.versionNote = note;
     }
+
+    public Boolean hasFiles() {
+        return hasFiles;
+    }
+    public void setHasFiles(Boolean hasFiles) {
+        this.hasFiles =  hasFiles;
+    }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/DatasetVersionServiceBean.java b/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/DatasetVersionServiceBean.java
index dcc9995ef35..95443c35e05 100644
--- a/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/DatasetVersionServiceBean.java
+++ b/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/DatasetVersionServiceBean.java
@@ -1340,6 +1340,15 @@ public Long getDatasetVersionCount(Long datasetId, boolean canViewUnpublishedVer
         return em.createQuery(cq).getSingleResult();
     }
 
+    public boolean hasFiles(Long datasetVersionId) {
+        Query query = em.createNativeQuery("SELECT id FROM fileMetadata WHERE datasetversion_id="+datasetVersionId+" LIMIT 1");
+        try {
+            query.getSingleResult();
+            return true;
+        } catch (NoResultException e) {
+            return false;
+        }
+    }
 
     /**
      * Update the archival copy location for a specific version of a dataset.
diff --git a/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/PermissionsWrapper.java b/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/PermissionsWrapper.java
index a833fd1858b..0af3816035a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/PermissionsWrapper.java
+++ b/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/PermissionsWrapper.java
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 
 import edu.harvard.iq.dataverse.authorization.Permission;
 import edu.harvard.iq.dataverse.authorization.groups.impl.builtin.AuthenticatedUsers;
+import edu.harvard.iq.dataverse.authorization.users.GuestUser;
 import edu.harvard.iq.dataverse.authorization.users.User;
 import edu.harvard.iq.dataverse.engine.command.Command;
 import edu.harvard.iq.dataverse.engine.command.DataverseRequest;
@@ -33,6 +34,9 @@ public class PermissionsWrapper implements java.io.Serializable {
     @EJB
     PermissionServiceBean permissionService;
 
+    @EJB
+    DatasetVersionServiceBean  datasetVersionService;
+
     @Inject
     DataverseSession session;
     
@@ -257,35 +261,42 @@ public boolean canIssueDeleteDatasetCommand(DvObject dvo){
     // PUBLISH DATASET
     public boolean canIssuePublishDatasetCommand(DvObject dvo){
         User u = session.getUser();
-        if (u != null && u.isSuperuser()) {
+        if (dvo == null || u == null || u instanceof GuestUser || !(dvo instanceof Dataset)) {
+            return false; // guests can not publish
+        }
+        if (u.isSuperuser()) {
             return true;
         }
         // Return false if dataset has 0 files and user want to 'publish' or 'submit for review' and 'publish dataset requires files' flag is set
-        if (dvo.isInstanceofDataset()) {
-            Dataverse dv =((Dataset)dvo).getOwner();
-            if (dv != null) {
-                List<FileMetadata> metadataList = ((Dataset) dvo).getLatestVersion().getFileMetadatas();
-                if (metadataList.size() == 0 && dv.getEffectiveRequiresFilesToPublishDataset()) {
-                    return false;
-                }
-            }
+        Dataset ds = (Dataset)dvo;
+        Dataverse dv = ds.getOwner();
+        if (dv != null && !datasetVersionHasFiles(ds.getLatestVersion()) && dv.getEffectiveRequiresFilesToPublishDataset()) {
+            return false;
         }
-        return canIssueCommand(dvo, PublishDatasetCommand.class);
+        return canIssueCommand(ds, PublishDatasetCommand.class);
     }
 
     // SUBMIT DATASET FOR REVIEW
-    public boolean canIssueSubmitDatasetForReviewCommand(DvObject dvo){
+    public boolean canIssueSubmitDatasetForReviewCommand(DvObject dvo) {
+        User u = session.getUser();
+        if (dvo == null || u == null || u instanceof GuestUser || !(dvo instanceof Dataset)) {
+            return false; // guests can not submit for review
+        }
         // Return false if dataset has 0 files and user want to 'publish' or 'submit for review' and 'publish dataset requires files' flag is set
-        if (dvo.isInstanceofDataset()) {
-            Dataverse dv =((Dataset)dvo).getOwner();
-            if (dv != null) {
-                List<FileMetadata> metadataList = ((Dataset) dvo).getLatestVersion().getFileMetadatas();
-                if (metadataList.size() == 0 && dv.getEffectiveRequiresFilesToPublishDataset()) {
-                    return false;
-                }
-            }
+        Dataset ds = (Dataset)dvo;
+        Dataverse dv = ds.getOwner();
+        if (dv != null && !datasetVersionHasFiles(ds.getLatestVersion()) && dv.getEffectiveRequiresFilesToPublishDataset()) {
+            return false;
+        }
+        return canIssueCommand(ds, SubmitDatasetForReviewCommand.class);
+    }
+
+    // cache the hasFiles in the ds version for performance reasons
+    private boolean datasetVersionHasFiles(DatasetVersion dsv) {
+        if (dsv.hasFiles() == null) {
+            dsv.setHasFiles(datasetVersionService.hasFiles(dsv.getId()));
         }
-        return canIssueCommand(dvo, SubmitDatasetForReviewCommand.class);
+        return dsv.hasFiles();
     }
 
     // For the dataverse_header fragment (and therefore, most of the pages),
diff --git a/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/search/SearchIncludeFragment.java b/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/search/SearchIncludeFragment.java
index 2ebb1903655..e8ba7a917b0 100644
--- a/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/search/SearchIncludeFragment.java
+++ b/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/search/SearchIncludeFragment.java
@@ -1411,10 +1411,6 @@ public String dataFileSizeDisplay(DataFile datafile) {
         return datafile.getFriendlySize();
 
     }
-
-    public boolean canPublishDataset(Long datasetId){
-        return permissionsWrapper.canIssuePublishDatasetCommand(dvObjectService.findDvObject(datasetId));
-    }
     
     public void setDisplayCardValues() {
 
@@ -1552,13 +1548,17 @@ public boolean isValid(SolrSearchResult result) {
             return true;
         });
     }
-    
-    public boolean canSeeCurationStatus(Long datasetId) {
-        boolean creatorsCanSeeStatus = JvmSettings.UI_SHOW_CURATION_STATUS_TO_ALL.lookupOptional(Boolean.class).orElse(false);
-        if (creatorsCanSeeStatus) {
-            return permissionsWrapper.canViewUnpublishedDataset(getDataverseRequest(),(Dataset) dvObjectService.findDvObject(datasetId));
+
+    public boolean canSeeCurationStatus(DvObject dvo) {
+        if (dvo != null && dvo instanceof Dataset) {
+            boolean creatorsCanSeeStatus = JvmSettings.UI_SHOW_CURATION_STATUS_TO_ALL.lookupOptional(Boolean.class).orElse(false);
+            if (creatorsCanSeeStatus) {
+                return permissionsWrapper.canViewUnpublishedDataset(getDataverseRequest(), (Dataset)dvo);
+            } else {
+                return permissionsWrapper.canIssuePublishDatasetCommand(dvo);
+            }
         } else {
-            return canPublishDataset(datasetId);
+            return false;
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/main/webapp/search-include-fragment.xhtml b/src/main/webapp/search-include-fragment.xhtml
index 735b586e447..30186fe87f1 100644
--- a/src/main/webapp/search-include-fragment.xhtml
+++ b/src/main/webapp/search-include-fragment.xhtml
@@ -582,7 +582,7 @@
                             <h:outputText value="#{bundle['dataset.versionUI.deaccessioned']}" styleClass="label label-danger" rendered="#{result.deaccessionedState}"/>
                             <h:outputText value="#{bundle['embargoed']}" styleClass="label label-primary" rendered="#{SearchIncludeFragment.isActivelyEmbargoed(result)}"/>
                             <h:outputText value="#{bundle['retentionExpired']}" styleClass="label label-warning" rendered="#{SearchIncludeFragment.isRetentionExpired(result)}"/>
-                            <h:outputText value="#{DatasetUtil:getLocaleCurationStatusLabelFromString(result.curationStatus)}" styleClass="label label-info curation-status" rendered="#{SearchIncludeFragment.canSeeCurationStatus(result.entityId)}"/>
+                            <h:outputText value="#{DatasetUtil:getLocaleCurationStatusLabelFromString(result.curationStatus)}" styleClass="label label-info curation-status" rendered="#{!empty result.curationStatus and SearchIncludeFragment.canSeeCurationStatus(result.entity)}"/>
                             <h:outputText value="#{result.userRole}" styleClass="label label-primary" rendered="#{!empty result.userRole}"/>
                             <h:outputText value="#{bundle['incomplete']}" styleClass="label label-danger" rendered="#{!result.harvested and !SearchIncludeFragment.isValid(result)}"/>
                             <h:outputText value="#{bundle['dataset.versionUI.locallyFAIR']}"  title="#{bundle['dataset.versionUI.locallyFAIR.tip']}"  styleClass="label label-primary" rendered="#{result.locallyFAIR}"/>